Understand and can successfully convey to students the major concepts, principles, theories, laws, and interrelationships of their fields of licensure and supporting fields as recommended by the National Science Teachers Association;
•All relevant GSEs listed.
•Each GSE is "unpacked" by explaining each subtopic, students' prerequisite knowledge, and probable misconceptions.
•All of the concepts in the GSEs are incorporated into a concept map or other graphical representation.
•All relevant GSEs listed.
•Each GSE is "unpacked" by explaining each subtopic, students' prerequisite knowledge, and probable misconceptions.
•Most of the concepts in the GSEs are incorporated into a concept map or other graphical representation.
•All relevant GSEs listed.
•At least one GSE is fully "unpacked" by explaining its subtopic, students' prerequisite knowledge, and probable misconceptions.
•Most of the concepts in the •GSEs are incorporated into a concept map or other graphical representation.
•Some relevant GSEs listed.
•Some GSEs are partially "unpacked" by explaining each subtopic, students' prerequisite knowledge, or probable misconceptions.
•Some of the concepts in the GSEs are incorporated into a concept map or other graphical representation.
•Relevant GSEs listed.
•Some of the concepts in the •GSEs are incorporated into a concept map or other graphical representation.
1b.
Understand and can successfully convey to students the unifying concepts of science delineated by the National Science Education Standards;
•Two Benchmark* lessons.
(* Lesson whose primary activity is conveying information)
•Includes complete set of notes or presentation explaining new concepts to students.
• Includes assessment questions (and answers) for formative assessment during lesson.
• Includes worksheet or other scaffold to direct students' organization of each lesson's content.
•Includes partial set of notes or presentation explaining new concepts to students.
• Includes assessment questions (and answers) for formative assessment during lesson. or worksheet or other scaffold to direct students' organization of lessons' content.
•Includes complete set of notes or presentation explaining new concepts to students for at least one lesson.
• Includes assessment questions (and answers) for formative assessment during one lesson.
• Includes worksheet or other scaffold to direct students' organization of lesson's content.
•Includes partial set of notes or presentation explaining new concepts to students.
• Includes assessment questions (and answers) for formative assessment during lesson or
worksheet or other scaffold to direct students' organization of lesson's content.
•Includes incomplete set of notes or presentation explaining new concepts to students.
1c.
Understand and can successfully convey to students important personal and technological applications of science in their fields of licensure
Lesson Plans
•Students experience or discuss at least three technological applications of the unit's topics.
• Lesson plan explicitly connects concepts to their applications over the course of unit.
•Students experience or discuss at least two technological applications of the unit's topics.
• Lesson plan explicitly connects concepts to their applications over the course of unit.
•Students experience or discuss at least one technological application of the unit's topics.
• Lesson plan explicitly connects concepts to their applications over the course of unit.
•Students do not experience or discuss any applications of the unit's concepts.
1d,
understand research and can successfully design, conduct, report evaluate investigations in science.
and understand
and
can successfully use mathematics to process and report data, and solve problems, in their field(s) of licensure.
Inquiry Lesson Plan(s)
• Plans support students' designing, conducting, analyzing, and reporting an investigation.
• Lesson includes questions for post-investigation discussion that lead students to develop an evidence-based argument or conclusion that connects theory with observations.
• Plans support students' conducting, analyzing, and reporting an investigation.
• Lesson includes questions for post-investigation discussion that lead students to develop an evidence-based argument or conclusion.
• Plans support students' conducting, analyzing, and reporting an investigation using procedural supports.
• Lesson includes questions for post-investigation discussion that lead students to connect concepts with observations.
• Plans support students' conducting, analyzing, and reporting an investigation using procedural supports.
• Lesson includes post-investigation discussion.
• Plans support students' conducting, analyzing, and reporting an investigation using procedural supports.
2. Nature of Science.
Candidates:
understand the historical and cultural development of science and the evolution of knowledge in their discipline;
understand the philosophical tenets, assumptions, goals, and values that distinguish science from technology and from other ways of knowing the world;
engage students successfully in studies of the nature of science including, when possible, the critical analysis of false or doubtful assertions made in the name of science.
Lesson Plans
• Relates each classroom investigations to how knowledge is constructed in science.
• Provides a historical context for each topic in the unit.
• Distinguishes scientific knowledge from other types of knowledge.
• Engage students in critical examination of doubtful assertions made in the name of science.
• Relates at least one classroom investigation to how knowledge is constructed in science.
• Provides a historical context for most topics in the unit.
• Distinguishes scientific knowledge from other types of knowledge.
• Relates at least one classroom investigation to how knowledge is constructed in science.
• Provides a historical context for at least one topic in the unit.
• Does not relate students' laboratory activities with scientific knowledge building.
• Provides some historical context for the unit.
• Does not relate students' laboratory activities with scientific knowledge building.
3. Inquiry
Candidates
understand the processes, tenets, and assumptions of multiple methods of inquiry leading to scientific knowledge;
engage students successfully in developmentally appropriate inquiries that require them to develop concepts and relationships from their observations, data, and inferences in a scientific manner.
Inquiry Lesson Plan(s)
• Explicitly explains how the methods used in each classroom investigation ensure the validity of the results.
• engage students successfully in more than one developmentally appropriate inquiry that requires them to develop concepts and relationships from their observations, data, and inferences in a scientific manner.
• Explicitly discusses or explains how the methods used in at least one classroom investigation ensure the validity of the results.
• engage students successfully in at least one developmentally appropriate inquiry that requires them to apply concepts and relationships to their observations, data, and inferences in a scientific manner.
• Explicitly discusses or explains how the methods in at least one classroom investigation ensure the validity of the results.
• engage students successfully in at least one developmentally appropriate inquiry that requires them to make observations, analyze data, and communicate conclusions.
• Engage students in developmentally appropriate inquiry that fails to require them to develop concepts and relationships from their observations, data, and inferences in a scientific manner.
• Does not engage students in empirical investigations or evidence-based knowledge building.
4. Issues
Candidates
understand socially important issues related to science and technology in their field of licensure, as well as processes used to analyze and make decisions on such issues;
engage students successfully in the analysis of problems, including considerations of risks, costs, and benefits of alternative solutions; relating these to the knowledge, goals and values of the students.
Unit Rationale
Lesson Plans
• have students create artifact(s) relate unit topics to relevant societal issues.
• examine societal problems related to the unit, and model a scientific approach to each problem.
• examine societal problems using scientific analysis, including examining risks, costs, and benefits of alternative solutions, and relating these to the values of the students.
• relate unit topics to relevant societal issues.
• examine societal problems related to the unit, and model a scientific approach to each problem.
• examine societal problems using scientific methods.
• relates unit to at least one relevant societal issue.
• examine at least one societal problem related to the unit, and model a scientific approach to the problem.
• relates unit to at least one relevant societal issue.
• fails to tie unit to any societal problems or issues.
5.a General Teaching Skills
Candidates
vary their teaching actions, strategies, and methods to promote the development of multiple student skills and levels of understanding;
successfully promote the learning of science by students with different abilities, needs, interests, and backgrounds;
Lesson Plans
• Plan a variety of activities for each lesson.
• Explain how instruction is differentiated in each lesson.
• Describe the depth of knowledge of each activity in the unit.
• Plan a variety of activities for most lessons.
• Explain how instruction is differentiated in most lessons.
• Describe the depth of knowledge of each lesson in the unit.
• Plan a variety of activities for most lessons.
• Explain how instruction is differentiated in most lessons.
• Describe the depth of knowledge of most lessons in the unit.
• Plan a variety of activities for each lesson.
• Explain how instruction is differentiated in some lessons.
• Fail to lan a variety of activities for each lesson.
5. c-e
Candidates
successfully organize and engage students in collaborative learning using different student group learning strategies;
understand and build effectively upon the prior beliefs, knowledge, experiences, and interests of students; and
create and maintain a psychologically and socially safe and supportive learning environment.
Lesson Plans
• Provide opportunities for student collaboration in almost all lessons.
• Open each lesson by activating students' prior knowledge, gauging student interests, and providing a compelling context/question for day's activities.
• Plan strategies in each lesson to make sure classroom is welcoming to all students.
• Provide opportunities for student collaboration in most lessons.
• Open each lesson by activating students' prior knowledge, gauging student interests, and providing a compelling context/question for day's activities.
• Plan strategies to make sure classroom is welcoming to all students.
• Provide opportunities for student collaboration in some lessons.
• Open each lesson by activating students' prior knowledge, gauging student interests, and providing a compelling context/question for day's activities.
• Occasionally plan strategies to make sure classroom is welcoming to all students.
Provide few opportunities for student collaboration.
• Open some lessons by activating prior knowledge and providing a meaningful context/question.
• Fails to support collaboration.
• Fails to activate interest or prior knowledge.
6. Curriculum
Candidates
understand the curricular recommendations of the National Science Education Standards, and can identify, access, and/or create resources and activities for science education that are consistent with the standards;
plan and implement internally consistent units of study that address the diverse goals of the National Science Education Standards and the needs and abilities of students.
Unit Rationale
Learning Goals
Concept Map
• Explicitly state national and state learning goals for the unit and each lesson.
• Identify key concepts that are appropriate for their students to address, and provide a rationale for these decisions.
• Explicitly state national or state learning goals for the unit and each lesson.
• Identify key concepts that are appropriate for their students to address, and provide a rationale for these decisions.
• Explicitly state national or state learning goals for the unit and each lesson.
• Identify key concepts that are appropriate for their students to address,
• Explicitly state national or state learning goals for the unit and each lesson.
• Identify some key concepts that are appropriate for their students to address,
7
Community
Candidates
identify ways to relate science to the community, involve stakeholders, and use community resources to promote the learning of science;
involve students successfully in activities that relate science to resources and stakeholders in the community or to the resolution of issues important to the community.
Lesson Plans
• Relate each lesson to the community.
• Involve cummunity stakeholders and use community resources in the unit.
• Provide students opportunities to inform or contribute to the community.
• Relate some lessons to the community.
• Involve community stakeholders and use community resources in the unit.
or
• Provide students opportunities to inform or contribute to the community.
• Relate at least one lesson to the community.
• Involve community stakeholders or use community resources in the unit.
• Provide students opportunities to relate their work to the community.
• Relate each lesson to the community.
• Provide students opportunities to inform or contribute to the community.
• Relate few or no lessons to the community.
8. Assessment
Candidates
use multiple assessment tools and strategies to achieve important goals for instruction that are aligned with methods of instruction and the needs of students;
use the results of multiple assessments to guide and modify instruction, the classroom environment, or the assessment process;
use the results of assessments as vehicles for students to analyze their own learning, engaging students in reflective self-analysis of their own work.
Assessment Plans
Lesson Plans
Summative Assessment
• Use formative assessment strategies each lesson.
• Explicitly describe in plans how daily assessment will be used in subsequent teaching.
• Explicitly indicate how each assignment will be scored, e.g. for accuracy or completion.
• Regularly provide students opportunities for self assessment.
• Use formative assessment strategies most lesson.
• Explicitly describe in plans how daily assessment for most lessons will be used in subsequent teaching .
• Regularly provide students opportunities for self assessment.
• Use formative assessment strategies most lessons.
• For at least one lesson, Explicitly describe in plans how daily assessment will be used in subsequent teaching.
• Provide students opportunities for self assessment often.
• Occasionally use formative assessment strategies each lesson.
• Occasionally describe how daily assessment will be used in subsequent teaching.
• Occasionally provide students opportunities for self assessment.
• Do not use formative assessment strategies each lesson.
• Fail to describe how daily assessment will be used in subsequent teaching.
.
9. Safety
Candidates
understand the legal and ethical responsibilities of science teachers for the welfare of their students, the proper treatment of animals, and the maintenance and disposal of materials;
know and practice safe and proper techniques for the preparation, storage, dispensing, supervision, and disposal of all materials used in science instruction;
know and follow emergency procedures, maintain safety equipment, and ensure safety procedures appropriate for the activities and the abilities of students;
treat all living organisms used in the classroom or found in the field in a safe, humane, and ethical manner and respect legal restrictions on their collection, keeping, and use.
Lesson Plans
• Plan instruction consistent with good judgement and safe classroom practices.
• Maintain a safe environment for all creatures in the classroom.
• Explicitly convey safety procedures and expectations for safe conduct for each activity.
• Plan instruction consistent with good judgement and safe classroom practices.
• Maintain a safe environment for all creatures in the classroom.
• Explicitly convey safety procedures and expectations for safe conduct for each activity.
• Plan instruction consistent with good judgment and safe classroom practices.
• Maintain a safe environment for all creatures in the classroom.
• Generally convey safety procedures and expectations for safe conduct for each activity.
• Inconsistently plan instruction consistent with good judgment and safe classroom practices.
• Inconsistently maintain a safe environment for all creatures in the classroom.
•Inconsistenly convey safety procedures and expectations for safe conduct for each activity.
• Do not p[lan instruction consistent with good judgement and safe classroom practices.
• Do not maintain a safe environment for all creatures in the classroom.
• Do not convey safety procedures and expectations for safe conduct for each activity.
NSTA Content Evaluation
•Overview
•Rationale
•Unpacking Learning Goals
•Concept Map
•Each GSE is "unpacked" by explaining each subtopic, students' prerequisite knowledge, and probable misconceptions.
•All of the concepts in the GSEs are incorporated into a concept map or other graphical representation.
•Each GSE is "unpacked" by explaining each subtopic, students' prerequisite knowledge, and probable misconceptions.
•Most of the concepts in the GSEs are incorporated into a concept map or other graphical representation.
•At least one GSE is fully "unpacked" by explaining its subtopic, students' prerequisite knowledge, and probable misconceptions.
•Most of the concepts in the •GSEs are incorporated into a concept map or other graphical representation.
•Some GSEs are partially "unpacked" by explaining each subtopic, students' prerequisite knowledge, or probable misconceptions.
•Some of the concepts in the GSEs are incorporated into a concept map or other graphical representation.
•Some of the concepts in the •GSEs are incorporated into a concept map or other graphical representation.
(* Lesson whose primary activity is conveying information)
• Includes assessment questions (and answers) for formative assessment during lesson.
• Includes worksheet or other scaffold to direct students' organization of each lesson's content.
• Includes assessment questions (and answers) for formative assessment during lesson.
or worksheet or other scaffold to direct students' organization of lessons' content.
• Includes assessment questions (and answers) for formative assessment during one lesson.
• Includes worksheet or other scaffold to direct students' organization of lesson's content.
• Includes assessment questions (and answers) for formative assessment during lesson or
worksheet or other scaffold to direct students' organization of lesson's content.
• Lesson plan explicitly connects concepts to their applications over the course of unit.
• Lesson plan explicitly connects concepts to their applications over the course of unit.
• Lesson plan explicitly connects concepts to their applications over the course of unit.
and understand
and
can successfully use mathematics to process and report data, and solve problems, in their field(s) of licensure.
• Lesson includes questions for post-investigation discussion that lead students to develop an evidence-based argument or conclusion that connects theory with observations.
• Lesson includes questions for post-investigation discussion that lead students to develop an evidence-based argument or conclusion.
• Lesson includes questions for post-investigation discussion that lead students to connect concepts with observations.
• Lesson includes post-investigation discussion.
Candidates:
understand the philosophical tenets, assumptions, goals, and values that distinguish science from technology and from other ways of knowing the world;
engage students successfully in studies of the nature of science including, when possible, the critical analysis of false or doubtful assertions made in the name of science.
• Provides a historical context for each topic in the unit.
• Distinguishes scientific knowledge from other types of knowledge.
• Engage students in critical examination of doubtful assertions made in the name of science.
• Provides a historical context for most topics in the unit.
• Distinguishes scientific knowledge from other types of knowledge.
• Provides a historical context for at least one topic in the unit.
• Provides some historical context for the unit.
Candidates
engage students successfully in developmentally appropriate inquiries that require them to develop concepts and relationships from their observations, data, and inferences in a scientific manner.
• engage students successfully in more than one developmentally appropriate inquiry that requires them to develop concepts and relationships from their observations, data, and inferences in a scientific manner.
• engage students successfully in at least one developmentally appropriate inquiry that requires them to apply concepts and relationships to their observations, data, and inferences in a scientific manner.
• engage students successfully in at least one developmentally appropriate inquiry that requires them to make observations, analyze data, and communicate conclusions.
Candidates
engage students successfully in the analysis of problems, including considerations of risks, costs, and benefits of alternative solutions; relating these to the knowledge, goals and values of the students.
Lesson Plans
• examine societal problems related to the unit, and model a scientific approach to each problem.
• examine societal problems using scientific analysis, including examining risks, costs, and benefits of alternative solutions, and relating these to the values of the students.
• examine societal problems related to the unit, and model a scientific approach to each problem.
• examine societal problems using scientific methods.
• examine at least one societal problem related to the unit, and model a scientific approach to the problem.
Candidates
successfully promote the learning of science by students with different abilities, needs, interests, and backgrounds;
• Explain how instruction is differentiated in each lesson.
• Describe the depth of knowledge of each activity in the unit.
• Explain how instruction is differentiated in most lessons.
• Describe the depth of knowledge of each lesson in the unit.
• Explain how instruction is differentiated in most lessons.
• Describe the depth of knowledge of most lessons in the unit.
• Explain how instruction is differentiated in some lessons.
Candidates
understand and build effectively upon the prior beliefs, knowledge, experiences, and interests of students; and
create and maintain a psychologically and socially safe and supportive learning environment.
• Open each lesson by activating students' prior knowledge, gauging student interests, and providing a compelling context/question for day's activities.
• Plan strategies in each lesson to make sure classroom is welcoming to all students.
• Open each lesson by activating students' prior knowledge, gauging student interests, and providing a compelling context/question for day's activities.
• Plan strategies to make sure classroom is welcoming to all students.
• Open each lesson by activating students' prior knowledge, gauging student interests, and providing a compelling context/question for day's activities.
• Occasionally plan strategies to make sure classroom is welcoming to all students.
• Open some lessons by activating prior knowledge and providing a meaningful context/question.
• Fails to activate interest or prior knowledge.
Candidates
plan and implement internally consistent units of study that address the diverse goals of the National Science Education Standards and the needs and abilities of students.
Learning Goals
Concept Map
• Identify key concepts that are appropriate for their students to address, and provide a rationale for these decisions.
• Identify key concepts that are appropriate for their students to address, and provide a rationale for these decisions.
• Identify key concepts that are appropriate for their students to address,
• Identify some key concepts that are appropriate for their students to address,
Community
Candidates
involve students successfully in activities that relate science to resources and stakeholders in the community or to the resolution of issues important to the community.
• Involve cummunity stakeholders and use community resources in the unit.
• Provide students opportunities to inform or contribute to the community.
• Involve community stakeholders and use community resources in the unit.
or
• Provide students opportunities to inform or contribute to the community.
• Involve community stakeholders or use community resources in the unit.
• Provide students opportunities to relate their work to the community.
• Provide students opportunities to inform or contribute to the community.
Candidates
use the results of multiple assessments to guide and modify instruction, the classroom environment, or the assessment process;
use the results of assessments as vehicles for students to analyze their own learning, engaging students in reflective self-analysis of their own work.
Lesson Plans
Summative Assessment
• Explicitly describe in plans how daily assessment will be used in subsequent teaching.
• Explicitly indicate how each assignment will be scored, e.g. for accuracy or completion.
• Regularly provide students opportunities for self assessment.
• Explicitly describe in plans how daily assessment for most lessons will be used in subsequent teaching .
• Regularly provide students opportunities for self assessment.
• For at least one lesson, Explicitly describe in plans how daily assessment will be used in subsequent teaching.
• Provide students opportunities for self assessment often.
• Occasionally describe how daily assessment will be used in subsequent teaching.
• Occasionally provide students opportunities for self assessment.
• Fail to describe how daily assessment will be used in subsequent teaching.
.
Candidates
know and practice safe and proper techniques for the preparation, storage, dispensing, supervision, and disposal of all materials used in science instruction;
know and follow emergency procedures, maintain safety equipment, and ensure safety procedures appropriate for the activities and the abilities of students;
treat all living organisms used in the classroom or found in the field in a safe, humane, and ethical manner and respect legal restrictions on their collection, keeping, and use.
• Maintain a safe environment for all creatures in the classroom.
• Explicitly convey safety procedures and expectations for safe conduct for each activity.
• Maintain a safe environment for all creatures in the classroom.
• Explicitly convey safety procedures and expectations for safe conduct for each activity.
• Maintain a safe environment for all creatures in the classroom.
• Generally convey safety procedures and expectations for safe conduct for each activity.
• Inconsistently maintain a safe environment for all creatures in the classroom.
•Inconsistenly convey safety procedures and expectations for safe conduct for each activity.
• Do not maintain a safe environment for all creatures in the classroom.
• Do not convey safety procedures and expectations for safe conduct for each activity.